Walking in the Good Works Prepared Beforehand for YOU... learning to let go and not say "yes" to everything

Sometimes it’s hard for me to walk in the good works that God has prepared beforehand for me to walk in. Not because I don’t want to do good things, but rather because I want to do too many good things... or I want to do someone else’s assigned “good works” because I honestly think I could do it better. I know how prideful that sounds, and it truly is just that! I’m not claiming that this is right thinking, but nevertheless, I’m embarrassed to say that it’s what I think sometimes.

I’m a “yes girl” (plus I’m single without a family), so I get asked to do a lot of things— things I enjoy, things I don’t want to do, things I don’t know anything about, things I could do with my eyes closed, things I invest almost my entire life into, things that only take up an evening... the list goes on. And when I’m assigned any sort of task, I take on that full responsibility, often carrying it with me much longer past the intended time. This is also pride, because it’s really a control issue. And for a long while, I thought it reasonable for me to think, feel, and behave this way because, well, “It only makes sense that I can’t trust the next person to do it like I did it!”; “How could they possibly do it better?!”; “Besides, if I don’t do it, who will?” ...and other haughty sentiments.

What I didn’t realize is that my thoughts, words, and actions were actually communicating something MUCH more contemptuous than even the above confessions... what I really believed in my heart is that God isn’t reliable or powerful enough for me to entrust all of these “things” to Him. I didn’t believe that He would be able to carry out His sovereign plan without me.

Go ahead, read that again... you read it correctly the first time: I. Thought. I. Was. Better. Than. God.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t walking around with those exact words ringing in my head, but the explication of my arrogant thoughts is the exact same! And you know what? The enemy has been whispering these same lies since he slithered over to Eve in the Garden. Unfortunately, just like her, I fell for it and took the fruit. 

Through a continuous series of events in my life that the Lord has sovereignly ordained to draw me to the foot of the cross, He humbles me over and over again. He kindly directs my eyes to Christ, sends His Spirit of Truth coursing through every cell of my body, and tells me this:

I AM the Lord your God, there is none like Me.

I AM the Creator of all things. 

I AM the Sustainer of all things. 

I AM the sovereign Lord who is faithful to fulfill every promise I have made in My Word. 

I AM responsible for and fully capable of carrying out my plan. 

And I have chosen you...

...to be My own.

...to be a part of My plan.

...to be obedient.

...to walk in the good works I’ve prepared beforehand for YOU to do.

...to submit yourself to MY will.

...to carry out MY good pleasure.

...to serve in MY Kingdom.

 

Whoa!! Reality check! Much like Job was told to “gird up his loins” before the Lord God basically flattened him with Truth, I have come out on the other side raw, hurting, and frail... but strengthened by the arm of the Lord and humbled by His Word.

Sometimes, things still happen that threaten to jerk me back into the thinking that I am better... and my flesh relishes it. But Jesus has given me His Spirit, so I can be victorious in dying to myself and living for Him!

REJOICE WITH ME OVER THIS TRUTH! ✨

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:10

Please stop saying, “Your time will come!” ...and other annoying things that singles don't want to hear.

Married people have often told myself and other singles that we will not get married until we are content in our singleness. 

I would like to humbly submit that this is said in error. 

Let me explain... first, I do want to stress that contentment in Christ is absolutely paramount to having Jesus be Lord in your life and that every believer, regardless of his or her marital status, should be satisfied in Christ alone. Second, I also want to say that I do understand that when married folks share this “bit-o-wisdom” with us single women and men, I know that it is well-intended. 

BUT, if I may, I am suggesting to you that this statement (and viewpoint) actually facilitates a works-based mentality that is more harmful than helpful in most cases. The Spirit doesn’t require us to attain a certain state or “level” before He grants us with any spiritual gift. The “gift” of singleness described in Scripture is the same word— “charisma” —that is used elsewhere in Scripture in reference to the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, prophecy, marriage, etc. We can’t earn any of these gifts any more than we earn salvation. EVERY gift is all of grace. 

Moreover, none of us are told that we will be given all of these gifts! Right now, I (and others) have the “charisma” of singleness. Perhaps one day we will have the “charisma” of marriage... but perhaps not. It does us no service to hear, “your time will come,” or, “one day... you just wait!” when in fact, no one knows if that is at all in Abba’s good and sovereign will for our lives! Our hope cannot be placed in the possibility of a future marriage. 

We are single today because that is exactly what our Abba has apportioned to us today. 

I am only saying all of this as an encouragement to my married brothers and sisters who are trying to encourage us single brothers and sisters... let’s all direct each other’s eyes to be fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, the One in whom our hope should lie. 

Some practical ways you can love and encourage the singles in your life:

-Pray for them regularly, and let them know that you do! (I hope that you do this for all of your friends- single and married alike!)

-Invite them into your home and include them in your families. 

-Men, if you’re able, offer to help single women with home repairs or other things that may be a bit more difficult for them to accomplish alone. 

-Lastly, when your single friend has a hard day and wants to “vent” about his/her singleness.... listen. The pain and emotions that are at times associated with singleness are real. Share your own stories of wrestling with your current life circumstances if you’d like! But always end by pointing his/her eyes to Christ for satisfaction.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, that photo is of myself in 1 of 12... that's right, 12... bridesmaid dresses I own ;)

Shattered Time- 2014

Well, 2014 has been quite the journey for me. I took a break from blogging to focus on what all the Lord was teaching me, but now I am ready to share that with whoever wishes to read.

First and foremost, Abba wanted me to learn to love His heart. This is not something that He showed me how to do all at one time, nor is it something that I have "mastered." But over this past year, I believe that I have seen more of Jesus' heart than I have ever seen before, which was crucial for Him to teach me anything else this year because I needed to let go of the desire to be able to explain everything logically and grab hold of the comfort that I can't, nor should I desire to, lest I think myself like Eve with the desire to know all as God does.

I learned to ask Him the simplest of questions instead of reading a theological book to answer them for me. One way that the Lord taught me to do this was when I began nannying the most precious 1 year old little girl and 3 year old little boy. At the adventurous age of 3, you can imagine that this little boy has had LOTS of questions for me about all kinds of things, ranging from "why do I have to brush my teeth?" to "what happens when people die?" When he started asking me questions about Jesus, life, and heaven that I did not know how to answer without using big theological terminology, my heart was broken. I thought, "If I can't explain the Gospel to a 3 year old, then what good am I?!" I was forced back onto the lap of my Abba, asking Him the same questions that this little boy was asking me, to hear what HE had to say about them. Sitting in the arms of my Daddy, hearing Him declare over me the simplest yet most profound Truth that He loves me and truly wants what is best for me, so much so that He sent Jesus to die in my place so that He could have a relationship with me, humbled me in such a way that I have never experienced before.

The stained glass of proper doctrine was shattered as Jesus crashed through it with open arms... for ME! Me. How can that be true? How can it be that the perfect God-Man could even stand to be around me with all of my sin, because clearly I am not perfect! This concept was, and still is to some extent, so puzzling for me. It's actually quite funny how the Father used the movie Interstellar to make this Truth come alive in my heart (side note, if you haven't seen it, go see it right now! I promise I won't spoil it for you in what I am about to say). Time is a big theme in Interstellar, and after watching it I was so curious about the concept of time. We measure everything in some form of time, whether it is actual minutes, hours, and days, or how many times you have to fail at something before you succeed. Either way, the basic principle of measuring in time is that it is always moving forward; we can never go backward, never stand still, and never jump ahead.

So how did time start? Going back to the beginning, where Scripture tells us that I AM was before time even began (Ps. 90:2), God created the heavens and the earth and established time for us humans. He created the sun, moon, and stars, by which we measure our days. He created a space-time continuum that we can barely understand, which makes it an even greater mystery how God transcends that continuum (Ps. 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8)! But oh, am I glad that He does transcend time, for that very fact is what allows His patience with my sinful heart. Because Jesus is God, He is eternal. This eternal aspect of Christ is what made His sacrifice on the cross efficient for the atonement for the sins of His people, because His blood covered the past, present, and future sins! But not just that, when He rose from the dead and defeated darkness, reigning in righteousness, that same righteousness that has now been given to me also transcends time! So, outside of this world, where I measure everything in time, I am also eternally positionally righteous before the Father. WHAT in the world?! Even though now during my "time" I am sinning, outside of time that sin does not exist anymore because it's been paid for, so the God of all the universe who cannot be in the presence of sin and who transcends time, ENTERS IN to my time in life and is still walking with me, has still given me the Helper, that is His Spirit, who stays with me at all times. Why? Because He cares. It is as simple as that. 
The concept of time had to exist here on earth in order for God to transcend it so that He could still be present with us in our sin. 
If that doesn't blow your mind, then I don't know what will!

This very real Truth is not meant to be interpreted as an excuse for abusing grace. Jesus still calls us to strive for holiness and has even given us the Spirit so that we can do that, as He is transforming us to be more like Christ. Although time does not affect God, He has designed it to where time does affect us... that is why over time, wounds are healed; over time, we change; over time, we become more like Jesus. So with my time, I want to do more than just the normal day-to-day. The child inside of me has been awakened, and she wants to GO! Where? I have no idea. But I know that with the little time God has designed for me to be here on earth, I don't want to waste it, especially when there are people who have never had someone step into their time and love them in the name of Jesus.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

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